In case you ever find yourself in a strange country, use this list to determine if you’re at least in Eastern Europe instead of Asia.
You aren’t a big deal.
There’s cheese.
People don’t care that you’re white.
The streets are quiet. People only honk horns when they’re angry or you’re missing a green light.
All those hippy clothes that made so much sense in Kathmandu make you look like a hobo now.
Not showering for a week at a time is no longer normal. It is also socially unacceptable to brag about it.
Pulling 1000 lei out of the atm is a big deal and you don’t want to mistake them for rupees.
There is electric 24/7 and therefore heat & hot showers inside your personal residence.
The gender pda rules have changed. Couples make out in the street. Guys holding hands are now gay, not just friends.
You must keep quiet on buses and not try to climb on the roof.
You are no longer encouraged to take fourths at meals by your hosts. You are now a pig and what was once a normal portion size could now feed your whole team.
There are signs advertising coffee, pastries, IKEA and McDonald’s.
There are churches everywhere.
People just stare at you if you greet them by bowing and saying “Namaste!�
It’s a dance party everywhere because everyone listens to techno.
Party van!!
Sad to say though, there are still some similarities to these countries. There are still hungry, wild dogs wondering everywhere. There are still “lower class� people groups (in this case, gypsies) that it is socially acceptable to oppress and ostracize. The government is still screwed up and corrupt. But most importantly, there are tons and tons of people who don’t know Jesus.
There are way more people in India than in Romania (I didn’t feel like getting you the actual numbers) but the receptiveness to the Gospel in India is also way greater and has nothing to do with population. Asia is experiencing a harvest time. They are growing tired of empty idol worship and turning to God by the thousands. Europe, in contrast, has become apathetic, cold, and turned against Him. We got to visit some local churches over the past few weeks and have seen a glimpse of what God wants Romania (and all of Europe) to become. There is a new generation here in Bucharest rising up and raising its voice. A generation that has learned from the past and are building on it instead of repeating it. They are breaking free from tradition and passionately pursuing what God has for them. They aren’t settling for a belief system passed down from generations before but are making their faith their own. They have a long road ahead of them to bring change to this country but with God on their side, I know they can do it. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see how this country moves on from here.
